{"id":548863,"date":"2026-10-10T11:45:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T09:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportando.basketball\/?p=548863"},"modified":"2026-10-10T11:45:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T09:45:32","slug":"ettore-messina-on-european-basketball-the-nba-and-the-road-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportando.basketball\/en\/ettore-messina-on-european-basketball-the-nba-and-the-road-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Ettore Messina on European Basketball, the NBA and the Road Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ettore Messina was interviewed for the second edition of EBAG Business Conversations<\/a><\/em>, discussing several topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new chapter in Atlanta<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“First of all, I was looking for something that would allow me to continue working in basketball while waiting for a new coaching opportunity. I remained president of Milan for six months, until the end of the season, and I know that may have given the impression that I wanted to retire. Honestly, at that point, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. During the summer, while travelling around Europe to run clinics, I realized how much I missed being on the court. I wanted to stay involved on the floor and, if the right opportunity came along, return to coaching.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was also important for me to have the opportunity to work with Quin Snyder. He is a friend, and we worked together with the Lakers and in Moscow, where he was my lead assistant. I also know and trust the people within the organization, so I feel I am in the right place, with the right people. That is the most important thing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My role is very simple: I am a consultant. I attend practices and meetings, watch games, talk to the coaches when they ask me to, share my opinions and continue to learn. We have already scheduled around five visits, each lasting two or three weeks.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been truly impressive to return to the NBA after seven years and see the level of knowledge, organization and professionalism, as well as the way practices are structured. It has been remarkable to observe how the league continues to evolve.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ideal model for European competitions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The issue of exchanges and similar mechanisms is ultimately procedural. First and foremost, there is a philosophical question. Today, in sports as in politics and the rest of the world, ideas are too often judged by who proposes them rather than by whether they could benefit the entire system. Everyone says we cannot carry on like this: too many games, too many competitions, a completely overloaded schedule and significant financial losses. Everyone knows what the problem is, but when it comes to discussing the solution, nobody is willing to step forward.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I could design the system, I would envision a major competition that also respects the domestic leagues, providing some opportunities for teams from those leagues to qualify. It should not be a completely closed system.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also believe there should be a certain level of cooperation with the NBA, considering its enormous financial and commercial strength, as well as its capabilities and expertise, from which we can only benefit. We must also leave room for national teams, because people in every country love their national sides, and we need to protect the players’ physical well-being.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another crucial issue is the pool of available players. We need to ensure that more good players are available on the market. Otherwise, quality players become an increasingly scarce resource, and clubs inevitably compete for them, paying too much precisely because of that scarcity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to consider the NIL phenomenon, the NBA’s demand for players and the possibility of future expansion by the league. If the NBA launches its own competition in Europe without an agreement with the EuroLeague, while the Basketball Champions League continues to exist as well, fragmentation will become an even bigger problem. We need to find a balance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we need to decide whether Europe’s premier competition wants to give every club a realistic chance to win, or whether success will remain concentrated among the teams with the biggest budgets. In Europe, more or less the same teams reach the Final Four and win the EuroLeague year after year. Of course, they deserve their success, but the system is different from the NBA, where we have seen many different teams become champions in recent years.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need to decide what we want. Once that decision has been made, we must build the system accordingly and stick with it over time.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ideal governance model for a club<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“First of all, I want to make it clear that at Milan I served as both president and head coach because, when I arrived, the club was going through a difficult period, and we had agreed that it was important to have someone with broader responsibilities. I believe we did a good job of reorganizing the organization, attracting high-level players and getting the team back on track.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In hindsight, after the first three years, it probably would have been better to step away from the executive role and continue solely as head coach. In Europe, I don’t believe holding both positions for an extended period is ideal. We were dealing with a particular situation, and I think we handled it successfully.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always remember a phrase used by the president and owner I had in Bologna: a long roster, meaning enough players to cope with a long season, but a short organization, with a lean management structure. Clubs are obviously bigger today, but the principle remains the same: trust, relationships and communication are what matter.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There must be open communication between the coach and the owner, as well as constant dialogue among ownership, management and the coach, with each respecting the others’ responsibilities. The key is to work together. Otherwise, it is easy to end up in a situation where the coach believes the level of talent provided is not good enough, while management thinks the players are adequate and that the coach is simply not using them properly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The owner, manager and coach must maintain a balance between the team’s actual capabilities and reasonable expectations. When expectations and reality drift apart, problems begin.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also the commercial side, which is becoming increasingly important because every club needs to generate revenue. That area can be entrusted to another executive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the ability to own or directly manage your arena is also crucial. It is not just about ticket sales, but also advertising, food and beverage, parking, suites and many other revenue streams. Arena-related income plays a fundamental role in the financial plans of NBA franchises and in their ability to break even. Clubs that do not control their own venues are simply in a different position from those that own them or have a long-term agreement to manage them and collect the revenues.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Armani model<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“First of all, we are talking about one of the great icons not only of the fashion world, but of business in general. We are talking about elegance, leadership, creativity and an extraordinary ability to communicate. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him and speak with him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My relationship with him left me with the impression that his main motivation was his love for the city. Initially, he became a sponsor of Milan. Later, when the team was close to going bankrupt, some prominent figures in the city approached him and asked him to save the club.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was also a longstanding passion for basketball within the Armani family. Mr. Armani himself had played basketball at a certain level, and he often said that his love for the sport began when he was young, watching his older brother Sergio play on weekends. His sister Rosanna had also played basketball at a good level in the 1960s. Basketball was genuinely part of the family’s history.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe that this certainly influenced his decision to take over the club in 2008. But above all, I think he wanted to give something back to Milan. Over time, he became increasingly passionate about the team. He loved the atmosphere and the affection he received from the fans. He never turned down a selfie or an autograph. He cared about the team and paid attention to the way it played, its commitment and, as he used to say, the elegance of the game.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, when he felt the team was missing something, he was willing to make additional funds available so that we could sign another player. But his involvement was genuinely driven by the care and passion he felt for the team.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe this legacy will live on. I think Mr. Dell’Orco and the family will carry the project forward. At this point, it is very difficult to imagine Olimpia Milano without the Armani family, given the legacy Mr. Armani left behind: not only through his financial investment, but also through the care and passion he devoted to the club.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NBA versus Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The main difference is that the NBA decided many years ago to create a common financial pie and then determine how it should be divided, including with the players. Players have enormous power, and rightly so, because they are the main protagonists of every competition. They are the ones who bring people to games. They deserve to be paid accordingly, but the system must also remain financially healthy for the league.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can spend more for two or three years, but if the business ultimately fails, what will the next generation of players have left? The NBA also decided whether it wanted a system in which every team could realistically have a chance to win, and then built the rules around that objective. From a commercial, structural and planning perspective, it has made some excellent decisions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europe is trying to catch up in these areas. But our main strengths are the quality of the games and the passion surrounding them. Sometimes that passion can even become excessive, because after just three games everyone is already under pressure, but the level of competition is extraordinary.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is great respect within the NBA for what European basketball brings from a technical and tactical standpoint. The number of European players who have become major NBA stars, and the growing presence of coaches and executives working in both systems, demonstrate that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the NBA and EuroLeague manage to reach an agreement, one of the most important things will be to preserve the soul of European competition. I hope EuroLeague and NBA Europe can find a way to come together under a single, shared league.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth development and NIL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Youth development is extremely important. In Italy, there used to be a rule requiring clubs to have a strong youth program in order to compete in the league. That requirement was subsequently scaled back and, in my opinion, it was a real mistake.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The system should require major clubs to maintain strong youth programs, while also recognizing the value of organizations whose primary activity is identifying, teaching and developing young players. The work these clubs do must be rewarded, and the different levels of the development system must be connected.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest challenge today is the NCAA. It can attract players while offering the European clubs that developed them little or no compensation, and US college basketball operates outside the FIBA and Olympic structures.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the NIL system in the United States is still evolving and remains complicated there as well. In practice, there is no limit to what some programs can offer. A young player can receive many times what they were earning in Europe.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cannot prevent players from going to college, and in fact it can be a great opportunity. We often complain that, at 18, many European prospects have finished their youth development pathway but are not yet ready to play in the EuroLeague. They risk finding themselves in no-man’s-land, sitting on the bench with the senior team or being sent out on loan.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

College can offer them a high-level sporting and life experience. The difficult question is what happens when they return. Which club holds the player’s rights? Who developed them? How should the work that went into their development be recognized?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIBA is trying to help find an agreement, but it is very difficult, especially while the United States itself is still trying to work out how to regulate the system.”<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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